San Diego County Sues AppLovin Over Explicit Ads to Children

The Government of San Diego filed a lawsuit against AppLovin Corp. in the San Diego Superior Court, alleging the mobile advertising technology company bypassed parental controls to serve explicit advertisements to children. The complaint asserts that AppLovin delivered ads for alcohol, vaping, adult dating services, and graphic sexual content within games played by minors.

Beyond the content of the advertisements, the lawsuit claims the company collected sensitive data from children's devices. This included precise location information that could identify where children live, study, and sleep. The government alleges these data collection practices continued even when parental controls and ad-tracking opt-outs were active.